David Wells - Cursed Bones

Ayela was silent for several moments, staring at Shadowfang through teary eyes. “Do you really think the Goiri’s bones can help us kill them?” she asked.

“I do,” Isabel said, “and maybe much, much more. What we do here might be the most important thing anyone does for a very long time.”

Ayela nodded, sniffing back her tears. “Will you teach me how to fight?”

“I will,” Isabel said, “but not here. We need distance from the enemy.”

“Lord Reishi said we should head due east for several days,” Hector said. “The jungle is thick, but it will keep us out of the swamp for as long as possible.”

“That’s wise,” Ayela said. “The gloaming swamp is feared by all on Karth, and for good reason. Few who venture into its waters ever return.”

Alexander appeared again.

“You better get moving,” he said. “It looks like Phane has some means of communicating with his people, because they suddenly sent out a search party looking for you.”

“How many?” Isabel asked.

“Twenty soldiers and a wraithkin,” Alexander said.

“What’s a wraithkin?” Ayela asked.

“Remember the man who vanished and then reappeared right in front of the witch?” Isabel asked. “The one who killed her?”

Ayela nodded.

“He was a wraithkin,” Isabel said. “He can teleport short distances and heal every time he does. They’re very hard to kill.”

“How far behind us, Lord Reishi?” Hector asked.

“Not far enough,” Alexander said. “Maybe an hour. Get moving. I’ll be watching.” Then he vanished into the firmament.

Isabel nodded to Hector to take the lead and they moved into the jungle. It was slow-going through the dense brush. While the air was cool and damp, Isabel found herself sweating before long.

They tried to leave as little sign of their passage as possible but it was a difficult, if not impossible, task. Often, they had to double back to circumvent some obstacle or other.

First it was a patch of quagmire sands. Hector stopped short as his leading foot started to sink into the innocent-looking jungle floor. He’d lived on the Isle of Karth for long enough that he was aware of the danger and easily backed out before it was too late.

“I wonder how far this goes?” he asked.

“That’s hard to say,” Ayela said. “Quagmire sands can stretch for miles or just cover a small patch of ground.”

Isabel tipped her head back and linked with Slyder who was perched in a tree above. “It looks like there are a fair number of clear patches of dirt around here,” she said.

“To be safe, we should stick to areas covered in vegetation,” Ayela said. “Plants almost never grow in sands.”

Hector plotted a new path through the jungle, avoiding open ground, which slowed their progress even further. Isabel only hoped that the soldiers following them might lose some of their number to the perils of the jungle.

She sent Slyder back to scout the enemy’s location and found them almost a league behind but tracking steadily. It seemed that the denseness of the brush was both making it easier for Phane’s forces to follow their trail and causing them to follow more slowly because they followed every dead-end path that Isabel and her friends had taken and been forced to backtrack out of.

Late in the day they heard the bark of a wild dog, then a yelp as it died. Isabel linked with Slyder and found Shadowfang, surrounded by six more dogs, standing over his kill. He didn’t look too worried about the opponents he faced as he snarled at them.

Seeing the dogs gave Isabel an idea. She forced her mind into the psyches of all six and imposed her will on them. It was more difficult controlling several animals than just one but well within her capability, for a short time anyway. After she reined in Shadowfang, she sent the dogs to hunt the Regency soldiers. Isabel felt a little guilty using the animals in such a way, knowing that some would probably die as a result, but she consoled herself with the knowledge that they would have attacked her party instead, had she not intervened.

As darkness fell, the jungle became far too treacherous for them to press on. Isabel felt anxious about calling a halt, knowing that the enemy might decide to make up time by moving through the darkness, but she knew better than to risk running into some unseen danger in the night, especially given how hostile the jungle had proven to be.

They found a small clearing in a depression surrounded by heavy foliage and carefully tested the ground for firmness before stopping for the night.

In the last of the day’s light, Isabel found Phane’s forces through Slyder’s eyes and was relieved to see that they had stopped as well.

No one slept well that night. The noises of the jungle created an eerie song that was far too often punctuated by the death cry of some hapless animal as it gave its life to provide a predator with a meal. Isabel found herself lying awake waiting for the dawn as the dark of night began to ebb. She was grateful to be on the move again, eating a cold breakfast while she walked.

Alexander appeared next to her, smiling at her when she jumped slightly.

“You need to warn me before you do that,” she said without breaking stride.

He walked by her side, passing through the foliage. “You’ve picked up another hunting party,” he said. “Looks like two of the witches and about thirty soldiers of Karth.”

“How far back?” Isabel asked.

“A day,” Alexander said, “but they seem to know their way around the jungle better than Phane’s people.”

“They do,” Ayela said. “Our soldiers have been using our superior knowledge of the jungle to exact vengeance against the Regency since Phane sent the demons against us. Rather than fight a battle we knew we couldn’t win, we’ve chosen to fight only when we have the advantage.”

“A wise strategy,” Alexander said. “Unfortunately, it means that this new hunting party is probably going to gain on you pretty steadily.”

“We could play them off against Phane’s people,” Hector suggested.

“Please don’t,” Ayela said. “These are my people, my brother is probably leading them. Were it not for the influence of the Sin’Rath, they would be pursuing Phane’s soldiers rather than us.”

“Maybe I can lead them away,” Alexander said. “I’ve been working on other illusions, and I can project a pretty good image of you, Isabel.”

“If they fall for it, it might buy us some time,” she said. “At this point I’ll take what I can get. This jungle is thick and I think it wants to kill us; I can only imagine how hospitable the gloaming swamp is going to be.”

“You don’t have to do this alone, Isabel,” Alexander said. “You could always find a place to hide until I can come help you.”

“Nice try, but we’re not stopping. With your help we should be able to avoid some of the more dangerous parts of the swamp and make our way to Siavrax’s laboratory well before any of our pursuers get close. And who knows, maybe the swamp will make them change their mind, or at least thin them out.”

“You really think they want to go back to Phane empty-handed?” Alexander asked.

“I guess there’s that,” Isabel said.

“The edge of the swamp is still a few days away,” Alexander said. “Once you get there you’ll need to make a raft. The swamp looks pretty deep in places and there’s no telling what’s beneath the surface.”

“I was trying not to think about that,” Isabel said. “Are you sure there isn’t another way?”

“Not unless you can fly,” Alexander said. “Siavrax’s hidden laboratory is built inside the top of a stone mountain that rises from the middle of the swamp. I’m pretty sure he picked the location for just that reason.”